As U.K. businesses grapple with another week of enforced remote working, law firms are being dealt a new problem to address: the declining mental health of their staff.

According to mental health charity, LawCare, over half of the calls the service received last week related specifically to COVID-19, and that number is growing. Already, the chairty is anticipating a surge in calls relating to isolation, relationship difficulties and issues with demanding clients resulting from the pandemic.

"When people are cut off then they will feel isolated, and that they're not feeling in the loop," says Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO of LawCare. 

"It's about keeping those lines of communication open and regular throughout," she added.

Various lawyers contacted by Legal Week, the U.K. arm of Law.com International, say that in addition to the problem of loneliness, many legal practitioners also face the added strain of childcare duties as well as growing work and personal life pressures. 

In addition, others have noted the difficulty in managing and co-ordinating whole teams virtually.

At the other end of the scale, some junior lawyers face an increasing sense of cabin fever brought about by small working environments or fears of their career futures.

One in-house paralegal told Legal Week: "I have to do nearly all of my work out of my own bedroom, while sharing a small flat with three other housemates."

"Then you see the heads of department dialling on to conference calls from different rooms in their house each day – it's just a completely different situation for them."

"When people are cut off then they will feel isolated, and that they're not feeling in the loop"

Already firms have a lot of social initiatives in place, from video conferences for lunches and drinks through to quizzes and team calls.

And several firms, including Taylor Wessing, Allen & Overy and Linklaters are running psychological seminars, looking at the mental health priorities behind working remotely over longer periods of time, emphasising the need for structure, autonomy and a sense of belonging even when there's no physical interaction.

At Linklaters, European HR strategy head Thomas Schmidt told Legal Week that the firm is making efforts to keep mental health services operational.

In the London office, the firm has organised for its in-house counselling service to be accessible for staff working remotely, allowing them to schedule sessions if needed.

Linklaters also has a number of pre-existing mental health 'hotlines' – numbers which staff can call to discuss issues – which Schmidt said the firm is looking to leverage further during this period of lockdown.

A&O has a network of mental health advocates, partners who are in charge of communicating the firm's mental wellbeing initiatives across the firm, according to global head of reward, benefits and wellbeing, Toni Graves. The firm is also rolling out a Mindful Leadership programme for partners to attend online.

"We have to keep the training running, keep people talking: we have virtual drinks on Friday, virtual coffees to catch up and more."

"It's just a matter of communicating really – that's the key," one U.K. practice head comments. "Our prime responsibility is to sort all these things out. We have to keep the training running, keep people talking: we have virtual drinks on Friday, virtual coffees to catch up and more."

But as well as providing that lifeline of social interaction, there is also a sense that law firms must recognise that people's working methods change when they are working from home.

"It's important to give people a degree of autonomy around when and where they do their work – especially for working parents." says Taylor Wessing talent director Wendy Tomlinson.

"Mark out childcare responsibilities in your diary – let teams and clients know about that. It's about giving people freedom to decide how to structure their days."

"Mark out childcare responsibilities in your diary – let teams and clients know about that. It's about giving people freedom to decide how to structure their days."

Fieldfisher partner Sam Jardine, who runs the firm's mental health and wellbeing training initiatives explains that it's also a matter of not being too harsh on yourself in the absence of an office environment – "Being kind to yourself".

"By allowing ourselves to feel what we feel, without judging ourselves, we'll work through whatever we're feeling." 

Jardine adds: "It's important that managers not only make themselves available to chat to people on a regular basis, but proactively check in with team members."

"It's important that managers not only make themselves available to chat to people on a regular basis, but proactively check in with team members."

That element of leadership is another key aspect to approaching wellbeing, according to LawCare's Rimmer.

"Senior people and leaders in law firms need to prioritise that they are caring for their own mental health and wellbeing", she says.

"Staff are looking to these leaders. If you have mental health seminars, you need to see partners and senior people in these seminars too. Law is such a hierarchical profession – we all take our cues from our leaders."

If you are feeling affected by the current working circumstances and would like to talk to someone about it, LawCare can be contacted on 0800 279 6888, or you can visit www.lawcare.org.uk for guidance material. Their phone lines are open between 9am and 5.30pm on weekdays. 

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